Monday, May 24, 2010

Site reader Keith Dunmire emailed in with a great keepsake, a classic Barnabas quote written by Jonathan Frid himself. Says Keith: "There was this special auction where I won Jonathan's notebook for his first Dark Shadows convention in 1984. There were dozens of handwritten notes." The words themselves come from the pivotal scene where Barnabas disposes of Dr. Woodard: "Loathsome I am and evil. You can mock me for that, but leave my pain alone."

Monday, May 17, 2010

Some of Dark Shadows' most popular characters are due for the action figure treatment this summer, with the release of a new series of collectibles from Spectre Toys. Rick Phares is the driving force behind the range, and exclusively reveals what's in store...

Hi Rick, were you always a fan of Dark Shadows?

I am a huge Dark Shadows fan! I grew up watching the show and it had an impact on me at an early age. I think that's why I've had this life-long interest in horror and fantasy. I remember rushing home from school every day and sitting in front of the TV set, totally enthralled. It was really cutting edge – vampires, werewolves, witches, ghosts... all on daytime television.

How did Spectre Toys come about?

I've worked in the toy and collectibles industry for many years, and few years ago I had a company, Majestic Studios, through which I released a few item, including three 1/6 scale Dark Shadows figures, which were very well received. The success of that line was very encouraging, but, due to my other consulting business, I found myself being spread very thin between two companies. I made the decision to focus on consulting, rather than try to release products through Majestic that I couldn't devote the right amount of time to. However, I never quite got rid of that desire to release my own products. Certain events over the past year have now enabled me to fulfill that desire and release products once again. I can now focus on Spectre Toys and devote the time needed to do it the way I always wanted to.

For the uninitiated, what are Mego-style of figures?

Mego was a very popular brand of 8-inch articulated figures with real cloth clothing released in the 1970s. It was known as being the first real action figure line, with numerous movie and TV characters issued as Mego figures. I'd always thought that Dark Shadows would have been a perfect line of figures, but sadly that never happened. In the past few years, EMCE toys has made that style of figure popular again, using the registered Mego-style body. Due to my consulting business, I had to opportunity to meet up with EMCE Toys and one thing led to another.

What's involved in getting a figure from concept to the finished product?

It's a lengthy and labour-intensive process. First is choosing the character, sculpting, prototyping the clothing with fabrics and getting licensor approvals. Then tooling and mould making, followed by actual production and further approvals. There's also packaging artwork and sales and marketing, and then the finished toys are finally shipped from China.

What are the plans for Dark Shadows figures beyond this initial wave?

We plan on releasing numerous figures in the coming years, including all of the most popular characters and some that may surprise even the diehard fans. We'll have Series 2 out later this year, around October or November, and will be at the San Diego Comic-Con this year with prototypes for upcoming figures. On display will be Quentin Collins, Josette DuPres, Dr. Julia Hoffman, Willie Loomis, and Adam!

That's quite a line-up. How are the characters chosen?

We wanted to start with popular characters to launch the line, then mix those with some others that may not be as high profile, but do have a following. We have a poll on our website, where fans can vote on what figures they would like to see released.

Did you have any personal faves you wanted to include?

I'd have to say Barnabas Collins, but the Chris Jennings werewolf is a very close second. I'm extremely pleased with how that figure's turned out. It really exceeded all our expectations and I'm confident fans and collectors alike will be very happy with it.

Chris is planned as a convention exclusive...

I'd like to take this opportunity to clarify some information on this figure. The Chris Jennings werewolf is a San Diego Comic-Con exclusive and we will be making 500 pieces available at the show. However, afterwards, we will have a limited number for sale on our site for fans and collectors that can't make it to San Diego. We want to make our figures collectible, but not impossible to get.

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Big Finish Productions have released the cover artwork and advance synopsis for June's Dark Shadows Dramatic Reading CD, London's Burning. The story features David Selby as Quentin and Doctor Who star Louise Jameson as Rosie Faye and is written by Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures script writer Joseph Lidster. Here's the teaser synopsis:

"I’m gonna dance for you, gonna dance your cares away…”

1941: As bombs fall on the city of London, Quentin Collins is reunited with his old friend, Rose. Trapped in an Underground station, she claims to have no memory of him. So he tells her how they met… 1906: Music hall star Rosie Fay is the talk of the town. But what connects her to the cases of spontaneous human combustion plaguing London’s ladies of the night? And why is Quentin so interested in the song she sings?